Improvement in churns



E. GROAT CELT-RN.

'Patented'Feb.6,1877.

N.1s7,1sd.

Inventor UNITED STATES PATENT QFFICE.

ELIAS GROAT, or NAPA, ASSIGNOR or ONE-HALF HIS RIGHT ro MILO B. POND, or SAME PLACE, AND WILLIAM OANTELON, or VAOAVILLE,

- CALIFORNIA.

IMPROVEMENT IN CHURNS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 187,130, dated February 6, 1877 application filed I July 6, 1876.

To all whom it may concern Be it'known that I, ELIAS GROKT, of N apa city and county, State of California, have invented an improvement in Churns, and I do hereby declare the following description and accompanying drawings are suflicient to en able any person skilled in the art or science to which it most clearly appertains to make and use my said invention without further invention or experiment.

My invention relates to certain improve ments on the churn which is described in my former Letters Patent, Nos. 118,712 and 118,713, dated September 5, 1871, and 167,893, dated September 21, 1875.

The churn therein described consists, essen tially, of a box, case, or vessel having two parallel horizontal shafts extending longitudinally across it near its top. Each of these shafts I provided with two or more depending heaters, which were so arranged that the heaters of one shaft alternated with the beat ers of the other shaft. I then imparted a rocking motion to the two shafts, so as to cause the heaters to be reciprocated alternately past each other inside of the box, case, or vessel, thus producing the necessary agitation to accomplish the churning.

Experience has demonstrated that the device for communicating this alternate rocking motion to the horizontal shafts must not be connected with the framework or case of the churn, as the racking strain which results from the short up and down strokes of the operating-lever is too severe upon the joints of the case or frame-work. I have therefore devised a cheap and simple mechanism for operating these shaftsdirectly from their projecting ends, so that the strain will not be communicated to the case or frame-work.

I have also invented an improved manner of constructing that end of the box, case, or vessel from which the journals or shafts project, the object of which improvement is to allow the shafts and heaters to be easily removed when it is desired to cleanse them or clean out the box or vessel.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of my inven- 'tion. ,Fig. 2 is a sectionof a part of the maprojecting ends I attach the operating mechanism, as hereinafter described. In construct ing the frame, at this end of the box or case I extend the corner posts or legs E, above the top of the case, and connect them by a cross-piece,

F, outside of the end of the churn, and which passes across below the top of the end board of the box. Ithen cut away a portion of the end board above this cross-piece, so that when the shafts B O are in position they will rest in hearings in the upper edge of the cross-piece, all as represented. I then employ a cap-piece, G, which is long enough to fit down between the posts or legs E E above the cross-piece F. This cap-piece has suitable grooves to fit down over the upper halves of the journals, thus virtually forming the upper half of the box, and closing the opening which was made by cutting away aportion of the end of the churn. I then secure this cap-piece in place by means of two tapering keys or Wedges, h h, one of which passes through a mortise in the upwardprojecting end of each post or leg E.

In the present instance I have represented the cap-piece G as having its upper edge made tapering or inclined; but this is not necessary, although quite convenient. This arrangement provides stability of the frame, and permits of the ready and convenient removal of the shafts B 0 when necessary or desired, as the wedges can be quickly removed, so that the cap-piece and shafts can be lifted entirely out of the box. For imparting the desired rocking motion to the shafts I employ the following device: To the projecting end of each of the shafts I secure a toothed segment, i j, which engage with each other midway between the two shafts. The segment j is toothed on one end, while its opposite end is extended so as to form a crank-arm, K. The

operating lever j has a slotted hole, 70, made in it near its end, through which a pin, 1, which projects from the center of the segment z, passes, thus providing a fulcrum for the lever to work about. The lever j has another hole in it at the proper point to allow the pin of the crank-arm K to pass through it. The 16- ver is then secured in place by keys 0 0, which pass through the pins outside the lever.

It will thus be evident that an up-and-down movement of the handle of the lever will cause the segments to impart to the shafts the required rocking motion. I thus provide a compound lever, by meansof which I can receive a sufiicient movement of the heaters with a short stroke of the lever. The fulcrum could be applied outside of the projecting ends of the shafts; but it would necessarily have to be in line or nearly in line with them. The principal feature of this part of my invention, therefore, consists in providing one of the projecting ends with a crank-arm, and then operating this crank-arm by a'secondary lever, and transmitting the motion from one shaft to the other by gearing. I thus apply the power directly to the shafts, so that no strain comes upon the box or frame, save such as is com- Having described my improvements in churns, I claim 1. The churn-box A, having the'end posts ,or legs E extended above the top of the box,

and connected byfthe crosspiece F, the end of the box being cutaway so as to permit the journals of the shafts B G to rest upon the crosspiece, in combination with the cap-piece G and wedges or keys h h, said wedges being arranged to key into mortises in the posts or legs E, substantially as and for the purpose described.

-2. The crank-arin K, applied to one of the shafts B O, in combination with a secondary lever, j, whose fulcrum is distant from its point of attachment to the crank-arm, in combination with the toothed segments 41 j, for

-transmitting the motion from one shaft to the other, substantially as and for the purpose above described.

In witness whereof I hereto set my hand and seal.

Witnesses: ELIAS GROAT.

GEo. H. STRONG, CHAS. G. PAGE. 

